Question: Are You Chasing Legacy, Checks, or To Be Liked by All?

First off, let’s clap it up for me being here on my blog instead of mindlessly scrolling social media. That alone feels like a small win. Funny thing is, I wasn’t always this balanced. Back in my Instagram peak “15 years plus ago”when I hit around 36k followers, I guess I had an epiphany. I skimmed the terms and conditions (which we all usually skip), and one line jumped out, it was something in the lines of.

“All posts belong to us. We can use them as we wish.”

That did not sit well with me. At all. If you’ve been following me for more than a decade, you might remember when I stopped posting altogether. I decided to forward people to my website instead… if you wanted to see my work, keep tabs on what I was up to, or connect, you had to meet me on my own platform. And you know what? It worked. I held out for almost eight years “a little over I believe” without posting on Instagram.

But here’s the thing about being human: we evolve, we meet new people, we build new connections, and sometimes we feel forced to do what the majority does. I’ve always had a problem with following the crowd. Yet, I’ll admit, if I completely resisted, I’d be broke. So now, I share just enough to be present while keeping my peace. My best work? That doesn’t go to social media. Why would it? I pay a premium to keep my website up, and if someone really wants to connect, learn, or be inspired without limits, they can find me here.

So that brings me back to the question:

Are you chasing legacy, checks, or to be liked by all?

Or maybe what you’re really chasing is that temporary feeling of being accepted, important, or accomplished in a digital space that feeds you artificial dopamine. The same dopamine that can just as easily lead to depression, comparison, and stagnation. “Tell me I’m lying”

I ask myself this question often. And honestly? Sometimes I avoid answering. I’ll say things like, “Ion chase nothing, I’m doing it.” But even then, I know I have to stop fronting with myself. The question still deserves an answer.

And when I sit with it, my answer is always legacy.

But here’s where it gets tricky… because a lot of people confuse legacy with wealth. They think legacy means stacking as much money as possible and leaving behind big checks for their kids or family. And while financial security is nice, that’s not legacy. Money can disappear, money can be spent, money can be mismanaged. If all you leave is money, your name won’t carry weight for long.

Legacy is deeper. Legacy is the echo of your existence. It’s the work, values, stories, and impact that live on after you’re gone. It’s when your child hears a phrase you always said and repeats it. It’s when someone you mentored years ago tells you that one conversation changed their life. It’s the art you created, the businesses you built, the kindness you showed, the lessons you taught, and the courage you demonstrated.

For me, legacy means making a difference in the field I chose. It means getting my ideas out of my head, onto paper, and into reality. It means leaving something my kids can pick up, look at, or see themselves reflected in. Legacy is proof that you existed, you created, and you mattered beyond just existing in a feed.

The checks? They’ll come… whether from a nine to five or entrepreneurship. The “likes”? They fade quicker than they arrive. But legacy? That’s built brick by brick. It’s in the time you invest, the mistakes you refine, the people you touch, and the memories you create on the journey.